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Helping to build a better world one house at a time

A Golden businessman recently received a special award for his humanitarian work.
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David Ratzlaff holds the Herman Rebneris Award which he received at the Canadian Home Builder’s Association of BC Presidents’ Night.

A local businessman recently received a special award for his humanitarian work.

David Ratzlaff, owner and president of HR Pacific Construction Management Ltd., accepted the Herman Rebneris Award at the Canadian Home Builder’s Association (CHBA) of BC Presidents’ Night.

The award is named after Herman Rebneris, a builder and an advocate who fought to end homelessness, and championed affordable housing for families and seniors in Greater Victoria for more than four decades.

Ratzlaff was nominated by workers at his office for the award.

“It is funny because for me it is a lifestyle I have chosen. To be involved in different charities is just what I do,” he said.

Ratzlaff credited his parents, John and Helen, for much of the work he now does.

They were always involved in something. So for me to receive an award is odd because I think everyone is doing things like this,” he said. “If you see a need you help out.”

One of the charities Ratzlaff is involved with is Bridges to Community.

“For every house we build here, we then build a house in Nicaragua. We have sent teams there before and in November my wife and I are going there to help build a school,” he said.

Ratzlaff said he is challenged by seeing all of the great things otherpeople are doing and in some way he hopes he can inspire people to do more to help.

He added that it was an honour to win the award but that is not why why he does his charity work.

He said that some of the people who work for his company have gone to other countries and had life changing experiences.

“To go to a place and see how much we have here. You can sit and complain about everything you don’t have but if you go there you realize how much we have here,” Ratzlaff said.

Ratzlaff plans to continue to be involved in projects as time goes on and is hopeful to get even more people involved in charitable work.